Dopamine receptors are prominent in regulating several aspects of basic brain function. In particular, they are necessary for the normal tasks of the regions they innervate, including motor behavior, motivation, and working memory. Dopamine receptors are also a central element in the brain reward system that controls the learning of many behaviors. There are two main classes of dopamine receptors, D1 and D2, which respectively stimulate and inhibit adenylyl cyclase. Further research revealed the existence of two D1-like receptors, D1 and D5, and three D2-like receptors, D2, D3, and D4.
The selective distribution of the dopamine D3 receptors onto key neurocircuits that underlie the processing of motivationally relevant events has made this target a main focus of significant drug discovery efforts over the last decade. However, identifying selective pharmacological agents for D3 receptors is an ongoing challenge.
Disclosed herein, inter alia, are solutions to these and other problems in the art.